Toto has completely emerged from some very dark days. Their long-standing lineup split in 2019, and Steve Lukather subsequently announced that 2018’s Old Is New would be the band’s last studio recording.
But he’s since rebuilt the road unit around frontman Joseph Williams, and their Dogz of Oz tour with Journey and Toto headliner dates have both been widely successful. Toto also essentially began releasing albums again, just not under the official banner.
First, Lukather and Williams unveiled tandem solo projects in 2021, I Found the Sun Again and Denizen Tenant, respectively. Essentially a Toto double LP, both showcased Toto stalwarts Lukather, Williams and David Paich. Paich’s 2022 Forgotten Toys EP likewise featured Lukather and Williams. Notable guests across all three projects included Toto contributors like Lenny Castro, Leland Sklar, Simon Phillips, Nathan East, Gregg Bissonette and David Hungate, among others.
Now Lukather is back with his second solo release in just two years. (His most recent LP had been Transition, from a eight long years before.) And as with I Found the Sun Again, the Joseph Williams-produced advance single from Bridges feels something like a Toto song by another name.
“When I See You Again” whets the appetite with driving rhythms courtesy of Simon Phillips, urgent vocals and slashing guitars. At the same time, however, it’s the work of an iconic legacy artist not willing to rest on his laurels, as Lukather combines a familiar melodic flair with the directness of his earlier solo work.
Due on June 16, Steve Lukather’s Bridges is available now for preorder.
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